Cricket News
Cricket Australia makes neck guards obligatory regardless of Steve Smith and David Warner’s resistance
Cricket Australia (CA) has launched vital adjustments to the enjoying situations for each home and worldwide gamers, with one of the crucial notable adjustments being the obligatory use of neck guards for Australian gamers ranging from October 1.
This rule would require gamers to put on neck guards on their helmets when dealing with quick or medium-paced bowling, excluding spinners, wicketkeepers, and close-in fielders. This growth has stirred consideration on account of resistance from high-profile gamers reminiscent of Steve Smith and David Warner, who’ve traditionally averted utilizing neck guards.
Defending the pinnacle and neck is extraordinarily necessary: Cricket Australia
Smith, Warner, and Usman Khawaja are among the many few gamers who’ve hardly ever used neck guards since their introduction in 2015. The neck or stem guards had been designed in response to the tragic dying of Phillip Hughes. Nonetheless, Smith had notably worn a neck protector whereas enjoying for Sussex forward of the 2023 Ashes, complying with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) rule for obligatory neck protectors, which was enforced from October 2022.
Regardless of objections from some gamers, CA has emphasised the significance of head and neck safety. CA’s head of cricket operations, Peter Roach, in an official assertion, mentioned, “Defending the pinnacle and neck is extraordinarily necessary in our sport. The neck protector product has come a good distance lately, and the choice to make them obligatory comes off the again of a whole lot of recommendation and session with a variety of consultants and stakeholders.”
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Different notable adjustments within the enjoying situations
Necessary neck guards are simply considered one of a number of adjustments to CA’s enjoying situations for the upcoming 2023-24 season. One other notable change is the adjustment to the automated six rule for balls that hit the roof at Marvel Stadium within the Massive Bash League (BBL). Umpires will now have the discretion to determine whether or not the ball was heading over the boundary. If not, will probably be deemed a lifeless ball.
CA has additionally applied measures to expedite play within the BBL, together with deadlines on harm stoppages and streamlining stumping evaluations. Underneath the brand new guidelines, umpire evaluations for a stumping will not embrace a TV umpire assessment for caught behind; the TV official will solely adjudicate on the stumping. Captains shall be required to make use of the DRS to problem a caught-behind resolution, and the assessment should be initiated earlier than the TV umpire’s stumping resolution.
Furthermore, on-field harm assessments, excluding concussion assessments, are actually restricted to a five-minute window. Gamers requiring additional remedy might want to depart the sphere, probably resulting in batters being compelled to retire damage. CA has additionally aligned its guidelines by eradicating the Covid-19 substitute rule from its enjoying situations, in step with adjustments made by the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC).